# Indian Calendar & Bazaar Art

> Mass-printed images of Hindu deities, epic scenes, saints, nationalist heroes and film stars, sold in bazaars and given away as business calendars, from the chromolithographs of the Calcutta Art Studio and Ravi Varma Press to Sivakasi offset. Frontal, idealised figures painted with academic naturalism glow against dreamy landscapes, in saturated colour with gold, haloes and ornate frames above the sponsor's name and calendar pad.

- Period: 1878–present
- Where: South Asia
- Origin: Calcutta and Bombay lithographic presses; later Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu
- Branch: Traditions & vernacular
- Also known as: Bazaar art, Calendar art, Oleographs, God posters
- Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/calendar-art-india/

## Use it with care

These are devotional images that many viewers worship, so do not crop, distort or deface deities or place them on footwear, floors, underwear or in mocking contexts. Many original painters went uncredited; name the artist and press where known.

## How it works

- Place a frontal, idealised deity or hero at the centre, gazing straight out at the viewer.
- Model figures with soft academic naturalism (luminous skin, rich fabrics) against an idealised landscape or temple setting.
- Saturate the colour and add gold, haloes and radiating light around the central figure.
- Reserve a band at the foot for the sponsor's name and calendar pad, set in bold display lettering.
- Frame the image with ornate borders, garlands and drapery.

## Its design choices

Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then.

### Layout & composition
- [Central symmetry](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/central-symmetry/) (defining)
- [Framed panels](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/framed-panels/) (characteristic)
- [Isolated object](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/isolated-object/) (occasional)

### Space & hierarchy
- [Single focal point](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/single-focal-point/) (defining)
- [Illusion of depth](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/illusion-of-depth/) (characteristic)
- [Horror vacui](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/horror-vacui/) (characteristic)
- [Layered information](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/layered-information/) (occasional)

### Typography
- [Hand-lettering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-lettering/) (characteristic)
- [Ornamented display](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/ornamented-display/) (occasional)

### Colour
- [Full polychrome](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/full-polychrome/) (defining)
- [Jewel & metallic](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/jewel-and-metallic/) (characteristic)
- [Gradients](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/gradients/) (characteristic)
- [Complementary clash](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/complementary-clash/) (occasional)

### Form & shape
- [Naturalistic depiction](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/naturalistic-depiction/) (defining)
- [Stylised figuration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/stylised-figuration/) (occasional)
- [Biomorphic curves](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/biomorphic-curves/) (occasional)

### Surface & texture
- [Gloss & highlights](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/gloss-and-highlights/) (characteristic)
- [Painterly brushwork](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/painterly-brushwork/) (characteristic)
- [Halftone & Ben-Day dots](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/halftone-and-ben-day-dots/) (occasional)

### Ornament
- [Abundant decoration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/abundant-decoration/) (characteristic)
- [Folk & sacred symbols](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/folk-and-sacred-symbols/) (characteristic)
- [Borders & frames](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/borders-and-frames/) (characteristic)
- [Cosmic & celestial](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/cosmic-and-celestial/) (characteristic)
- [Floral & vegetal](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/floral-and-vegetal/) (occasional)

### Imagery
- [Painterly illustration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/painterly-illustration/) (defining)
- [Photomontage](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/photomontage/) (occasional)

### Medium & production
- [Lithography](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/lithography/) (defining)
- [Offset printing](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/offset-printing/) (characteristic)
- [Hand-painted](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-painted/) (occasional)

### Tone & intent
- [Spiritual & sacred](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/spiritual-and-sacred/) (defining)
- [Communal & popular](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/communal-and-popular/) (characteristic)
- [Romantic & sensual](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/romantic-and-sensual/) (characteristic)
- [Agitational & persuasive](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/agitational-and-persuasive/) (occasional)

Avoids: Dynamic asymmetry, Generous white space, Non-representational, Monochrome, Flat, Ornament-free

Palette: #e8822a, #c8202f, #1e6fa3, #d4a537, #e58aa0, #2e6b3c

Typefaces: Hand-drawn Devanagari display lettering, Hand-lettered Tamil and Bengali titles, Bold Latin display faces (slab and Tuscan styles) for sponsor names

Known for: Calcutta Art Studio (founded 1878); Raja Ravi Varma and the Ravi Varma Fine Art Lithographic Press (Bombay, 1894); C. Kondiah Raju (painter for Sivakasi and Madurai litho presses); S. M. Pandit; S. S. Brijbasi & Sons (print publishers)

## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to

- Influenced by: [Victorian Letterpress & Wood Type](https://stylogeny.com/styles/victorian-letterpress.md) (1810–1900)
- Influenced by: [Kalighat Pat & Battala Bazaar Prints](https://stylogeny.com/styles/kalighat-battala.md) (1830–1930)
- Led to: [Hand-Painted Bollywood Poster](https://stylogeny.com/styles/bollywood-poster.md) (1940–1999)
- Led to: [Indian Pop-Kitsch Design (Desi Kitsch)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/indian-kitsch.md) (1997–present)
- Alike in its design choices: [Shanghai Modern & Yuefenpai](https://stylogeny.com/styles/shanghai-modern.md) (1910–1949), 74% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Picó Sound-System Painting (Colombian Caribbean)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/pico-sound-system-art.md) (1967–present), 69% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Pakistani Truck Art](https://stylogeny.com/styles/pakistani-truck-art.md) (1947–present), 67% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Mexican Calendar Chromo (Cromos calendáricos)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/mexican-calendar-chromo.md) (1930–1970), 66% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Cuban Tobacco Lithography (Habilitaciones & Marquillas)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/cuban-tobacco-lithography.md) (1845–present), 66% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Spanish Bullfight Poster (Cartel Taurino)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/cartel-taurino.md) (1879–present), 64% alike

## Real works

- [Lakshmi](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/78264): After Raja Ravi Varma; printed by the Ravi Varma Fine Art Lithographic Press (per imprint), 1894, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- [Gauri](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/838325): Ravi Varma Press, Karla-Lonavla; published by Anant Shivaji Desai, Bombay (per imprint), 1894–99, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- [Ganesha with his consorts Riddhi and Siddhi (Riddhi-Siddhi Ganapati)](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/849524): After Raja Ravi Varma; Ravi Varma Press, Karla-Lonavla (per imprint), ca. 1900–15, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- [Shiva-Gauri](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/849508): Calcutta Art Studio (per imprint), 1878–1883, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- [Krishna as the Lord of the World (Shri Shri Jagannatha)](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/786762): Chore Bagan Art Studio (per imprint), ca. 1890, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

## Sources

- Kajri Jain, Gods in the Bazaar: The Economies of Indian Calendar Art (Duke University Press, 2007)
- Christopher Pinney, 'Photos of the Gods': The Printed Image and Political Struggle in India (2004)
- https://imp-art.org/glossary/calcutta-art-studio/
- Wikipedia: Kalighat painting (Calcutta studio lithographs and German oleographs imitated, then displaced, Kalighat pats): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalighat_painting

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From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “Indian Calendar & Bazaar Art”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/calendar-art-india/